Department for Transport

East-West Rail Link: Freight

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what provision for rail freight is contained in Network Rail’s Transport and Works Act order application for East West Rail, approved on 5 February.

baroness vere of norbiton: Article 37(1) of the Network Rail (East West Rail) (Bicester to Bedford Improvements) Order 2020 provides that “Network Rail may operate and use the railway and other authorised works as a system, or part of a system, of transport for the carriage of passengers and goods.” Article 37(1) therefore provides that the railway (and other authorised works) may be used for the purposes of rail freight.

Railways: Freight

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Earl of Courtown on 3 February (HL547) and in the light of their target of zero net emissions by 2050, whether they plan to cease the practice of counting the loss of fuel duty, including VAT, as a disbenefit to the transfer of heavy freight from road haulage to an electric railway.

baroness vere of norbiton: When assessing the impact of transferring road freight to rail, the differences in both costs and benefits are calculated to provide the full picture of the net impact. The appraisal framework in the Department considers the emissions savings that would result from switching transport types, taking into account the relative emissions efficiency from each form of transport mode. The Department’s appraisal framework is continually kept under review to keep up to date with latest approaches to valuing environmental benefits, as well as improvements in technology. DfT is embarking, through the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, on the biggest piece of work it has ever done on decarbonising transport. It will be working openly in 2020 to produce a Plan that puts transport on a path to delivering its contributions to carbon budgets and net zero.

Railways: Strikes

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 28 January (HL412), whether they will now answer the question put, namely what provisions any such legislation will include to protect the rights of railway managers dealing with strike action.

baroness vere of norbiton: The purpose of Minimum Service Level legislation is to ensure that the right to take strike action is in future balanced with the rights of others who are disproportionately impacted by strikes. This would include the rights of rail managers.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Natural Gas: Hydrogen

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the consequences, including safety,of proposals for UK domestic gas supplies to comprise up to 20per cent hydrogen.

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) allow UK domestic gas supplies tocomprise up to 20per cent hydrogen, and(2) ensure that customersare fairly charged for gas supplies with a variable percentage of hydrogen.

lord callanan: The Gas Safety (Management) Regulations 1996 (GSMR) were introduced as a statutory instrument to ensure the safety, quality, and management of the flow of gas through the gas network in Great Britain. The regulations are the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). It is the responsibility of the Gas Network Operators (GNOs) to make the case to the HSE that any changes they propose to the GSMR are safe.   The HyDeploy project has been commissioned by GNOs to investigate the option of blending up to 20% hydrogen with natural gas in the gas grid. The HSE have granted an exemption to the current GSMR hydrogen content limit of 0.1% for the duration of the HyDeploy project, subject to strict safety arrangements being in place.The evidence produced by HyDeploy will be used to assess whether legislative changes allowing hydrogen blending should be made. It will also be used to assess whether any consequential changes would be required to charging arrangements.

Electricity Generation: Carbon Emissions

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what level of low carbon produced electricitythey expect to be required by 2050.

lord callanan: It is likely that electricity demand will grow significantly by 2050 as other sectors of the economy such as transport and heat are electrified, potentially doubling from today’s levels. In order to meet this increasing demand, whilst reducing emissions to low levels, there will need to be a substantial increase in low carbon generation – the Committee on Climate Change estimate a four-fold increase may be needed.The forthcoming Energy White Paper will address the transformation of our energy system in the context of delivering net-zero by 2050.

Electricity Generation: Carbon Emissions

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they expect the requisite level of low carbon electricity will be produced in 2050.

lord callanan: The generation mix in 2050 will be affected by the approach to decarbonisation in other sectors, technology costs, the emergence of new technologies and the flexibility of the electricity system. It is not for government to prescribe the proportion of generation that will come from any specific technology in 2050; rather the role of government is to enable the market to deliver the levels of deployment required whilst minimising both emissions and systems costs.The Energy White Paper will address the transformation of our energy system in the context of delivering net-zero by 2050.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israeli Settlements

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the publication ofPeace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People by the government of the United States, what plans they have to prevent illegal annexation in the occupied territories.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As the Foreign Secretary set out in Parliament on 4 February, we are concerned by reports of possible moves toward annexation of parts of the West Bank by Israel. Any such unilateral move would be damaging to renewed efforts to re-start peace negotiations, contrary to international law and could not pass unchallenged. The former Minister for the Middle East and North Africa raised our concerns about unilateral annexation with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 4 February. We call on all parties to refrain from actions that would imperil the viability of a two-state solution, based on the 1967 lines, and make it harder to achieve a just and lasting peace.

Foreign Relations: Africa

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they publish, and make available, the document detailing a strategy for Africa approved by the National Security Council in 2018.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government's strategic approach to sub-Saharan Africa is explained in the memorandum provided as written evidence by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on behalf of Her Majesty's Government to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Inquiry 'Beyond Aid: The UK's Strategic Engagement in Africa'. Information on the UK's strategic approach to Africa is also available on the GOV.UK website.

Africa: Embassies

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what are the total number of FCO and DfID staff employed in UKembassies and High Commissions in Africa; (2) which countries have no UK permanent ambassador or High Commissioner; and (3) whether there are plans to establish permanent missions in any such countries.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The below data provides a breakdown of the total number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for International Development (DFID) staff employed in UK embassies and High Commissions in Africa.Across all posts in Africa (North and sub-Saharan) staff numbers are as follows:  UK-Based StaffLocally Employed StaffFCO300-3192,000-2,499DFID316422 Although Heads of Post elsewhere are accredited as non-resident Ambassadors or High Commissioners, the following fifteen African countries do not have a resident UK Ambassador or High Commissioner:BeninBurkina FasoBurundiCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadComorosCongoDjiboutiEquatorial GuineaGabonGuinea BissauNigerSao TomeTogoThe UK currently maintain offices in Burundi, Chad and Niger, though our Ambassadors reside in Rwanda, Cameroon and Bamako respectively. The offices in Chad and Niger will become full missions in the near future when the new resident Ambassadors are appointed. We are also planning to establish a mission in Djibouti with a resident Ambassador.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel about that government's obligations under international law to be responsible financially for the land and peoplein territory it occupies.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: It has long been the British Government's view that Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is governed by the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, to which Israel is a state party. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including settlements and the treatment of Palestinian children in military custody. We also expect economic and fiscal agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to continue to be fully implemented, including Israel's obligations under the Oslo Accords and Paris Protocol.

Libya: Undocumented Migrants

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 29 January (HL690), how much of the £120.3 million paid or allocated in 2018 and 2019 for the benefit of refugees and migrants, including detainees, in Libya, has so far been spent; and who is holding any unspent balances.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In 2018 the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) held $555.3 million for global responses. The UK contribution to the 2018 CERF was US$114.3million, or £89 million. Information is published through the UN-managed Financial Tracking Service. The UK's £75 million migration programme is still in operation, running from 2018 to 2021. Details of our allocations to partners and spend to date, including those operating in Libya, are available on Development Tracker. All funds have been committed to our partners and will be spent by 2021.

Israel: Palestinians

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Palestinian Authorityfollowing President Mahmoud Abbas’ rejection of the government of the United States' plan for a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians and his announcement of the cutting of ties, including security ties, with the United States and Israel.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of President Abbas' comments. We encourage President Abbas to engage with the US and explore what options there might be for addressing his concerns. The Foreign Secretary called President Abbas on 27 January, before release of the plan. He emphasised the UK hope that the plan would permit a return to negotiations. Our Consul General in Jerusalem has been in regular discussion with the Palestinian Authority following release of the plan.

Israel: Palestinians

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the article by Thomas L. Friedman in the New York TimesMother Nature scoffs at Trump's mideast peace plan, published on 4 February, on water resources and ecology in the Middle East; and what plans they have to seek to establish permanent institutions for dialogue and action on those issues.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made an assessment of this article, the impacts of climate change are already being felt across the Middle East, including in the marine environment, and will become much worse over time. That is why climate change and the implementation of the Paris Agreement is such a high priority for this Government. We have raised concerns over access to water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Israeli authorities, including stressing the urgent need for Israel to take immediate and practical measures to improve the current situation and ensure fair distribution of water in the West Bank and Gaza. These resources are limited and therefore require the effective co-operation from all parties to manage them in such a manner that ensures there will be enough for all. The UK is more than tripling our spending on economic development programming - providing £58 million between 2018 and 2023. This includes helping to improve water and energy supply, particularly in Gaza.

Gibraltar: Schengen Agreement

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to prohibit Gibraltar from applying to join the EU Schengen open borders area.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: After we leave, the United Kingdom will be negotiating the future relationship with the EU on behalf of the whole United Kingdom family, including Gibraltar. The United Kingdom, including Gibraltar, is not part of the borderless Schengen zone.

Ministry of Justice

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what informationthey hold centrally on Personal Independent Payment appeal waiting times.

lord keen of elie: HM Courts and Tribunals Service records, and publishes, information about clearance times for appeals to the Tribunal. Clearance times are calculated from receipt of the appeal to the final disposal decision. The final outcome of any appeal is not necessarily achieved at its first hearing (i.e. waiting time for a Tribunal). The final disposal decision may be reached after an earlier hearing had been adjourned (which may be directed by the judge for a variety of reasons, such as to seek further evidence), or after an earlier hearing date had been postponed (again, for a variety of reasons, often at the request of the appellant). An appeal may also have been decided at an earlier date by the First-tier Tribunal, only for the case to have gone on to the Upper Tribunal, to be returned once again to the First-tier, for its final disposal.Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) appeals are listed into the hearing venue nearest to the appellant’s home address and statistics are collated according to the venue where the case is heard. Clearance times for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeals by SSCS venue are held centrally, as are overall waiting times. For the period June to September 2019, the latest period for which data are available, the average overall clearance time for a PIP appeal was 30 weeks.

Department for Work and Pensions

Occupational Pensions

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what duties the trustees of non-associated multi-employer pension schemes have to employers contributing to the scheme; and whether all such employers have a right to be consulted when trustees grant apportionment arrangements to departing employers.

baroness stedman-scott: The employer debt legislation (section 75 of the Pensions Act 1995 and the Occupational Pension Schemes (Employer Debt) Regulations 2005) sets out the requirements on departing employers where any shortfall between liabilities and assets in a Defined Benefit pension scheme is treated as due. Trustees of all occupational pension schemes including non-associated multi-employer pension schemes have a duty to employers contributing to the scheme to ensure that the scheme is correctly administered in accordance with its rules and that the promised benefits are paid. Where a restructuring event takes place, trustees are required to consult the exiting employer and receiving employer about the likelihood of the receiving employer being able to meet all the exiting employer’s liabilities in relation to the scheme. The trustees must also notify the exiting and receiving employer (in writing) of their decision as to whether they consider the receiving employer capable of meeting all the exiting employer’s liabilities to the scheme. Whilst there is no general requirement for trustees to consult employers when granting apportionment arrangements to departing employers, the Occupational Pension Schemes (Employer Debt) Regulations 2005 require the consent of employers within the scheme when trustees grant Regulated Apportionment Arrangements, Scheme Apportionment Arrangements and Flexible Apportionment Arrangements to departing employers. The Government’s Green and subsequent White Paper on Defined Benefit pension schemes looked very closely at this issue and considered carefully what could be done to relieve the pressure some employers face from their obligation to pay an employer debt. The White Paper concluded that the existing arrangements in legislation, along with the deferred debt arrangement introduced in April 2018, provide enough flexibility for employers to manage their employer debts and the current “full-buyout” calculation method is the most secure and effective way of protecting members and remaining employers in a multi-employer scheme.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Sewage: Waste Disposal

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration, if any, they gave to the provision of financial help to those on low incomes when introducing the 2015 rules following their consultation Reform of the Regulatory System to Control Small Sewage Discharges from Septic Tanks and Small Sewage Treatment Plants in England.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: A Regulatory Impact Assessment was carried out at the time that the 2015 rules were introduced. While no financial help is available for upgrading or replacing small sewage discharges regulated under General Binding Rules, the Environment Agency will agree a reasonable timescale with the owner where it identifies that improvements are required.

Sewage: Waste Disposal

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration, if any, they gaveto providing financial help to householders when introducing the 2015 rules following their consultation on Reform of the Regulatory System to Control Small Sewage Discharges from Septic Tanks and Small Sewage Treatment Plants in Englandwhere the discharge facilities were situated within a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: A Regulatory Impact Assessment was carried out at the time that the 2015 rules were introduced. While no financial help is available for upgrading or replacing small sewage discharges regulated under General Binding Rules, the Environment Agency will agree a reasonable timescale with the owner where it identifies that improvements are required. With specific regard to any discharge facilities situated within a Site of Special Scientific Interest, additional regulatory requirements only arise as a direct consequence of that if the discharge in question was first made on or after 1 January 2015.

Sewage: Waste Disposal

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they currently hold about the number of people on low incomes who are affected by the 2015 rules following their consultation on Reform of the Regulatory System to Control Small Sewage Discharges from Septic Tanks and Small Sewage Treatment Plants in England.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: Neither the Environment Agency nor Defra holds any information regarding the number of people on low incomes who rely on non-mains sewerage systems.

Ivory Act 2018

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the implementation of the Ivory Act 2018 is a priority.

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Ivory Act 2018 will commence upon the conclusion of the ongoing judicial proceedings.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The implementation of the Ivory Act 2018 is a priority for the Government. We are working to implement the Act as soon as practicable, including the preparation of the secondary legislation required to commence the Act.

Treasury

Money Service Businesses

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many inspection visits HMRC made to money service businesses registered with them in each of the calendar quarters from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2019; and (2) how many of any such visits per quarter led to (a) de-registration, (b) disciplinary action or (c) closure of the business.

lord agnew of oulton: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) takes appropriate and effective enforcement actions against Money Service Businesses (MSBs) who fail to comply with the money laundering regulations. However, we consider that releasing the specific number of investigations and visits made to businesses in different sectors could enable opportunists to identify where resource is being focused, allowing criminals to arrange their activities accordingly to escape challenge. HMRC are therefore not able to release sector specific numbers on how many inspection visits are conducted against MSBs. The National Risk Assessment 2017 assessed MSBs as high risk for money laundering and terrorism financing and HMRC takes a risk-based approach to prioritise resources. Across all sectors, HMRC closed around 1,300 onsite cases in each of the financial years 2017/18 and 2018/19. Many of these cases involved multiple visits to businesses and onsite inspection visits are just one of the ways that HMRC monitors supervised businesses. We cannot provide information on the outcomes of inspection visits alone although in the 2019/2020 financial year, HMRC has seen the value of penalties across all sectors triple when compared with the value of penalties issued for the financial year 2017/18.

Money Service Businesses

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last assessed the risk that money service businesses were involved in the finance of crime and terrorism; what conclusions they reached as a result of any such assessment; and what actionthey took, if any, to tighten inspection and supervision of such businesses.

lord agnew of oulton: Law enforcement agencies and the statutory anti-money laundering (AML) supervisors monitor the money laundering and terrorism financing risk associated with money service businesses on an ongoing basis. The Government published a National Risk Assessment (NRA) of the risk of money laundering and terrorism financing in October 2017. The NRA 2017 concluded that there was a high risk associated with money service businesses. The Government recognises the importance of developing and maintaining a robust and shared national understanding of money laundering and terrorist financing risks. The 2020 NRA, which will be published by July 2020, will provide an update on how these risks have changed since the 2017 NRA. HMRC recognises the risk posed by money service businesses and continues to devote a significant proportion of resources to their supervision. The NECC and HMRC are committed to working with public and private sector stakeholders to further reduce the extent to which money service businesses are used to facilitate serious and organised crime. Aided by a recent increase in supervision fees, HMRC committed as part of the Economic Crime Plan to ensure a robust approach to deliver an enhanced risk-based approach to its AML/CTF supervision by March 2021. In September 2019, HMRC announced a record fine of £7.8million against a London-based money service business for breaching the Money Laundering Regulations. This fine followed a joint month-long crack down on high risk money service businesses lead by HMRC, the Metropolitan Police and the Financial Conduct Authority.

Money Service Businesses

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasionsin the last three years HMRC and the Financial Conduct Authority met to discuss co-ordination of their regulatory supervision of money service businesses; and how many occasions during that period those bodiesconducted joint inspections of registered businesses.

lord agnew of oulton: Since October 2019, HMRC have formally met with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) at least every month to discuss coordination of their regulatory supervision. Prior to that, meetings took place approximately every six weeks and were used to discuss specific cases and other issues. HMRC and the FCA also have frequent informal contact every few days. HMRC and the FCA do not operate a dual supervision model. Where a business is authorised by the FCA for Money Transmission only, HMRC are the supervisory authority. Conversely, when a business is supervised for any other activity by the FCA, the FCA are the supervisory authority. HMRC and the FCA share information and intelligence to assist each other with the supervision and regulation of registered and supervised businesses and work collaboratively to promote supervised businesses’ understanding of the risks they face, their statutory obligations and the implications of inadequately managing those risks.

Money Service Businesses

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for the regulatory interface between HMRC and the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of money service businesses; and what measures are in place to ensure that individual businesses do notfall between the supervision ofeitherbody.

lord agnew of oulton: The Treasury is responsible for appointing Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing supervisors under the Money Laundering Regulations and works closely with them to ensure they deliver the government’s objective of a robust risk-based approach to supervision. Whilst supervision of the sector is shared between HMRC and FCA, responsibilities on an individual firm basis are clearly allocated to each supervisor and both HMRC and FCA hold registers of entities subject to their supervision. The FCA is the supervisory authority for credit and financial institutions, including money service businesses (MSBs), when they are authorised persons under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. HMRC is the designated supervisor for non-financial institution MSBs that are not otherwise supervised by the FCA. Each supervisor is responsible for reviewing the AML compliance of MSBs under their supervision using a risk-based approach. The registration process for an MSB involves scrutiny of all beneficial owners, officers and managers to determine whether they are fit and proper to hold these positions. Both supervisors have established procedures for working collaboratively on policing the gateway and on the AML supervision of the MSB sector. This is underpinned by a joint FCA/HMRC Memorandum of Understanding and established legal gateways for sharing information and expertise.

Financial Services

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) whether they, or the Financial Conduct Authority, aremonitoring the use by fund managers of forward equity subscription commitments to leverage the gearing of open-end fund portfolios, and what assessment they have made as to whether such fund managers are correctly reporting the existence of such commitments to potential and actual investors in relevant funds; and (2) whetherthey have reviewed the arrangements made and signed by Woodford Investments as a principal or agent for funds.

lord agnew of oulton: This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government. The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Video on Demand: Taxation

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reform taxation for video streaming services.

lord agnew of oulton: The Government is concerned that current international corporate tax rules do not adequately deal with certain digital business models. The Government is fully engaged in international discussions at the OECD to reform the rules that govern profit allocation so that market economies such as the UK are able to tax a greater share of digital companies’ profits. On 31 January 2020 the OECD announced an ambitious timetable to progress work on these reforms during 2020.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sustainability of the Press Review

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Baroness Morgan of Cotes on 6 February (HL Deb, col 1937) that the Government “supported all the recommendations apart from one: the proposal to establish an institute for public interest news” and “the Government have decided that it is not for the Government to take that recommendation forward”, what assessment they made to inform that decision; what support they intend to give, if any, to the establishment by other organisations of an institute for public interest news; what discussions they have had with other organisations about establishing such an institute; and with which organisations they have discussed any such plans.

baroness barran: The Government acknowledges the value the ‘Institute for Public Interest News’, proposed by Dame Frances Cairncross in her Review, is intended to achieve, in bringing different initiatives together in order to amplify their impact, and acting as a channel for collaboration. However, the Government recognises the concerns of many in the publishing industry regarding the inherent challenge an organisation with such a purpose will face in defining what qualifies as ‘public interest’ news, and what might therefore be deserving of support. It is not for the Government to define what qualifies as 'public interest' news. While any institute would be at arm’s length from the Government, we recognise concerns that even an arm’s length relationship risks perceptions of inappropriate Government interference with the press. The Government has therefore decided that it is not for the Government to take the recommendation forward. There are a number of existing initiatives set up by the industry in this area, for example, the Google News Initiative, Facebook’s Community News Project, the Public Interest News Foundation set up by Impress, and the BBC’s proposed Local Democracy Foundation — with more potentially under development across the sector. Parts of the sector have shown a desire to help share approaches and best practice. It remains open for the sector to support the existing initiatives or form others as they see fit. Notwithstanding that it is not for the Government to play a role in leading or designing an institution, there are some challenges and functions that Dame Frances envisaged as potentially being undertaken by an institute that the Government is minded to support through other routes. A key function where we see a potential role for Government to support is the funding of research into news provision and its impact on communities. The Government has recently put out an invitation to tender for research to support policy development on news sustainability and will continue to explore how it can commission further research into these areas, to provide a solid evidence base for future policy interventions.

Domestic Abuse: Immigrants

baroness penn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Southall Black Sisters’ No Recourse to Public Funds project evaluation has been completed; and if so, whether a copy of that evaluation will be published.

baroness barran: Southall Black Sisters was awarded funding of £250,000 in April 2018 and (in partnership with The Angelou Centre) £1,090,000 in April 2019 through the Tampon Tax Fund. It was used to fund the No Recourse to Public Funds Project, also referred to as the Recourse to Safety project.Southall Black Sisters’ have commissioned an independent evaluation of the project which is currently ongoing. They have used their Tampon Tax grant to fund this. It will be Southall Black Sisters’ decision whether to publish their evaluation.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Contract Cleaning

lord storey: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether the House of Lords Administration has replaced the employment of housekeepers with the use of contract cleaners; and if so, how muchthey estimatewill besaved as a resultof such a policy; and what will be (1) the hours, (2) the holiday entitlement, and (3) the sickness benefits, of those staff employed as contract cleaners.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. The current policy is to retain the Housekeeping Team for the foreseeable future and to continue to provide Housekeeping services within the Palace, with a focus on the high profile areas such as the Chamber, Robing Room, Prince’s Chamber, Royal Gallery and offices on the Principal and First floor.A contractor, AtaliaServest, currently cleans all out-buildings as well as selected Member and staff offices in the Palace of Westminster. AtaliaServest has been the incumbent cleaning contractor for over five years. Additional areas, including those with limited accessibility and lone working requirements, have been handed over to AtaliaServest. This decision was taken to maximise operational efficiency, making best use of the AtaliaServest team and allowing the House of Lords Housekeepers to focus on high profile areas and specialist cleaning, rather than for any financial benefit. The terms and conditions of AtaliaServest staff are set by AtaliaServest, all staff and contractors working on the Parliamentary Estate are paid at least the London Living Wage.